He suggested that current turmoil in the industry might be painting a discouraging image for incoming students.

"Our current hypothesis is that many news stories seem to say that the situation for nurses is difficult, that the working conditions and organization of work are difficult," Tremblay said.

Nurses speaking out

Émilie Ricard, a nurse in Sherbrooke, posted this photo of herself in tears on Facebook. (Facebook/Émilie Ricard)This decline in applications comes at a time when nurses in Quebec are speaking out against mandatory overtime, saying that it jeopardizes the care they give to patients.

In January, Sherbrooke, Que., nurse Émilie Ricard posted a photo of herself crying after a difficult night shift. It was shared tens of thousands of times online.

On Wednesday, the Federation of Health and Social Services, whose members include nurses, met with Health Minister Gaétan Barrette hoping to discuss how reforms could be causing distress among workers.

With files from Radio-Canada, Presse Canadienne, and CBC's Matt D'Amours